May 30, 2012

Many times in life we are told about something new that we ‘need to see’ or ‘give a chance’ and we either pass or reluctantly… finally get
around to it.Based on the words of Cody
Canada telling us that “if Jason Eady is not the biggest thing in Texas within
a year, then something is majorly wrong”, we took him at his word.Fortunately we did not need to wait long as
Jason Eady’s fourth album, AM Country Heaven, had just recently came out and he played a CD release
party here in Houston at the Firehouse Saloon.

Listening to the album is like watching the hands of time go
backwards right in front of you.There
is only one song that we can pinpoint, “Longer Walk In The Rain”, that would
fit the format of today’s country radio.(And we mean that as a compliment.)The rest of the songs harken back to where expressing yourself, in any
format, was what really mattered.There
are songs that reminisce about the days of old such as the title track “AM
Country Radio” and “Old Guitar and Me” to a song like “Man on A Mountain” that
literally sounds like it could have been a B-side to a Dolly Parton/Kenny
Rogers album.There are songs about
drinking, losing a lover, and doing all the things good ol’ boys are supposed
to do.All in all, there’s at least one
song for every listener.

If you want to find
out why your parents fell in love with country music then have a listen to this
album.The music feels authentic and
that is something that cannot be faked.While todays musical landscape remains dominated by cookie-cutter artist
doing what is pandered to them and making sure to fit the right mold, it is very
refreshing to see and hear an artist going against the stream and helping us
all remember what good music should sound like. There will be more great things
to come from Mr. Eady.We’re counting on
it!

May 21, 2012

While we are franticly working on putting together all the articles and pictures from the great shows we have seen recently, we wanted to inject something new to the website as well.For every one of your favorite artist out there, a thousand others are trying to make it big, catch a break, or just write for their own personal reasons.The latter is where we start.One of our lead writers has donated a piece he wrote a while back to get this new idea off the ground and running.His name is Matthew Ricketts and this is what he has to say about his writing.

"Writing for me has always been an outlet. It started off as simple poetry and progressively took the form of song. I knew I was never cut out to be a musician but writing offered me a chance to express myself through words that I was unable to speak. It has given me an outlet to let go the things that might eat away at the insides. This particular choice (entitled One More Day) was written right after a friend’s suicide about four years ago...and I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do or what to say but it all poured out of me in a matter of moments and that’s what you have here. I have never been one to try and sit down and force myself to write, it feels like a job then. When I write it is because I need to get things out and don’t know how to otherwise. I can only hope that people are able to find that release that they need as well. Thank you."

One More day

I’m floating through the atmosphereNot quite sure how I got hereI want to cryBut there’s no more tears

Then someone called and said you were goneDon’t know quite what’s going onI couldn’t believeWhat you’d gone and done

And when my tears sayAll that I want to sayAnd the crazinessMakes me insane

And when the painWon’t seem to go awayI’m wishing forJust one more day

My twisted thoughts and memoriesCome creeping back and haunting meI want you backHere right next to me

One more day is what I ask of youWhy couldn’t you just follow throughWe had so much more lifeAnd other things to do

WHAT MAKES GOOD MUSIC?

Music, in our opinion, is the ultimate outlaw. It doesn’t have to adhere to any of society’s rules. So the most that any of us can do is to just sign on as an accomplice and enjoy the ride. Instead of vowing to honor and obey…we should swear to aid and abet. No strings attached.
These bands and artists express a form of personal freedom. Their creations free us from the mass identity we see in the making all around us. And, in the end, we come to realize that they make music not to be outlaw heroes…but to save themselves. To survive as individuals. That’s how true legends are born…